STOP Calling it Pot!

A movie poster from the 1930s exploiting the growing concern of marijuana.

Taken from Google

STOP Calling it Pot!

With marijuana becoming more accepting of a drug today to most people, I’ve decided that my semester long project will be based on the legalization of marijuana for the future seems promising for the substance to be dealt with medically, legislatively, and economically.

This topic targets many young Americans today as they see marijuana far less dangerous from narcotic drugs such as LSD, cocaine, heroin, and even as less as alcohol. Over 700,000 people were arrested in 2014 for marijuana related offenses making it roughly one arrest every 45 seconds according to Bruce Wright, a writer for the International Business Times. Many young Americans, mainly minorities, have suffered due to their criminal record including possession of marijuana. With such a minor offense, these young Americans are at a disadvantage to get a well-paying job, to receive public benefits, and housing for the rest of their lives.

Times have changed and the US law should remove the federal prohibition on marijuana. Marijuana is classified as a schedule I substance making it equally as dangerous to heroin on a legal standpoint. However, medical research has proven marijuana to produce health benefits once taken… heroin on the other hand does not.

In a recent experiment, The Journal of the American Medical Association held a trial of randomized cannabis plants to treat medical conditions. With the use of medical marijuana, scientists were able to discover that 47% of their patients showed complete resolution of nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy. Although the results do not seem significant yet, there is limited information that medicinal marijuana may help with refractory pain, physical pain, and anxiety and sleeping disorders.

State regulation continues to grow over cannabis. The growth of cannabis in California is booming, and therefore the state government are aware that tax on cannabis may be beneficial. When Californians take up Proposition 64 entering the polls on November 8, they will agree upon a 15% cannabis tax and of course to legalize the recreational use of the drug. Some marijuana industries complained that it was unnecessary or too premature to approve a 15% tax on cannabis due to the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation soon to be applied in January of 2018.

As legalization of marijuana for recreational use returns to the polls in the November California ballet of 2016, I believe the future is bright for the drug to be lawfully taxed and dispersed. Politicians have agreed in order to purchase marijuana, the California state requires the patient to be 21 years or older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis only for recreational use. Individuals are also allowed to grow as many as six cannabis plants.

Let’s not forget that marijuana is a trafficking drug meaning that this certain drug is dispersed illegally in the US. What I want to know over the course of the semester is how the state government can regulate the dispersion of marijuana in California? I see transporting the substance as a big problem. With California being one of the most notorious states for drug trafficking, violence may occur in achieving transported substances for profit.